You would think it's spring - yeah right!

In fact on the 1st of June it is officially the first day of winter, but it's been pretty brass monkeys around here lately, and everything looks a mess outside and I have to say it does inside as well, so on that note I shall walk you through my funspace (office/sewing room). You see everytime I walk in here I think I was just becoming more depressed with the state of it, so with Saturday morning vigour I went for it. It didn't start out as a full scale attack, but just a bit of a go at the buttons, because any minute now I was going to knock them over and then end up with a pin in my knee while kneeling down trying to pick them up, and we all know what that feels like, so it was time for a pre-emptive attack...

It was one of those situations where everything was so precariously balanced on top of a slippery plastic bag, that it all threatened to go shooting across the floor should you breath near it.


You know I'm almost too embarassed to show you, but I'm keepin it real ...

In a previous life this was known as a "fabric stash". More like fabric trashed!

and I kind of knew where everything was, but I only mean kind of knew.

And here is the reason I get myself in this situation in the first place

So this ...

became this

and this was never going to work

so became ...

Not quite there...

but by the magic of television...

And because I'm so honest I am going to show you my dirty little secret, but it's just between you and me, okay?

My little cupboard under the stairs, which would give even Harry Potters rellies, The Dursleys nightmares!

And of course there is the post battle carnage to clear up...

...because I can hear Mr Busy muttering something about "someone breaking a leg on these stairs in a minute".

But to be honest I think I might need a bit of a lie down, because I'm shattered

Gotcha! Your'e It

Emma over at Jellybelly*Jellybrain has tagged me. I haven't been tagged before except that time in Form Two at Pasadena Intermediate, when the girls played ball tiggy with the boys, and they chucked the tennis ball so hard at us that we got branded. But that's all in the past now and the therapy really seemed to help with my aversion to "running around" sports, and I can now sit on the couch and watch rugby with hardly any panic attacks at all.
So the deal is that I tell you 8 things about meself... so here goes...

8 Things I'm looking forward to...
Doing nothing today after a frantic week and weekend.
Attending my nieces wedding at Mantells in July.
Heading off to Rotorua for a weekend break with Busy husband and small Busy's.
Getting some crafty stuff underway.
Summer. Don't even go there its only Autumn and I am totally over it!
Spending some quality time with friends that we have owed a dinner to for ages.
Cracking open a bottle of vino with said friends.
Holding a bit of a do for Mikes Nephew and his lovely girlfriend, when they come back from Oz.

8 Things I did yesterday...
*Got up at 7.00 and made a pancake brekkie for the family.
*Made a big casserole to feed the multitudes.
*Baked a chocolate cake, for the after match function for Little Busy Daughters First Holy Communion, and helped Mr Busy make Club sandwiches.
*Organised the Busy Family's clothes for the above event. (Because Mr Busy would rock up to Mass in his Rugby jersey and ratty jeans. You think I'm joking don't you?).
*Raced down to Church to set up the Parish Centre for the Communion Breakfast (which I refer to as the after match function), only to find out it was full of people having a grand old time with lots of food and cups of tea. Plan C was quickly put into action, and required a great deal of re-jigging of timetable.
*Raced back home.
*Attacked Little Busy Daughter's hair with straighteners, ribbon, and tulle and flowers.
*Attended 6.30pm Mass at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Howick, and was very proud of Little Busy daughter for not making a face when she took communion wine.

8 Things I wish I could do...

*See out of both eyes, because I'm blind in one eye.

*Sing in tune all the time. (Okay so sing in tune ... full stop!)

*Be really patient and zen like. (Good luck with that. Quick! Did you see that pig fly past the window?)

*Get a flat stomach (oops there goes another pig)

*Have more consistency with my crafting. Like getting started would help as well.

*Keep my house tidy all the time, not just that mad racing around because someone has knocked on the door, and the laundry is sitting in the middle of the stairs waiting to be escorted to its room.

*Be able to play the piano or guitar, because if I could hold a tune as well, imagine what I would be like at a party? You hum it, I'll play it!!

*Grow a few inches. Not much but 5ft 2, is really annoying when you have to take up every pair of pants you buy, and cropped ones just look like you have hemmed them a bit too much.

8 Shows I watch...

*Coronation Street

*Animal Rescue (Australian) or Animal House (NZ) or those Zoo ones.

*Underbelly - The Mr Asia Story- but just finished.

*24

*American Idol

*Celebrity Rehab (I know, I know - don't tell anyone though eh)

*Re-runs of Seinfield

*Chuck a whole load in from, Discovery Chanel, Nat Geo, and Crime Chanel.

Now looking at this you may be thinking. What a boring old bird. Well you are probably right!! I apologise for the double spacing that seems to have occured all on its own. I can't fix it because it's like 9.14 on Sunday morning I'm a bit tired, and Mr Busy is putting on the kettle because I have only had one cup of tea so far.

Now I know you are all standing by to be tagged, so you over there, stop trying to hide behind that other blogger.

Dear Fi

Ric Rac
Another Day in Paradise
Applique today
Pepperberry & Co

Princess Kirsty Jane

Okay this is only six bloggers, but time is of the essence here, and Im breaking rules all over the place, and I might get banished from blog land, but seriously folks, I'm sill in my dressing gown, and it's now 20 to ten and the school uniforms still aren't washed, never mind dried. And that messy house I was telling you about earlier? Suffice to say we could end up with a government department coming in here and shutting the whole place down

THE RULES:

Here's the rules, just in case you want to follow them:.
1. Mention the name of the person who tagged you.
2. Do the lists of 8.
3. Tag 8 bloggers of your choice.
4. Let them know that they have been tagged!

SO IF YOU HAVE BEEN NAMED IN THE ABOVE LIST ... YOUR'E IT!!

What a week...!

Its been an exciting week. This arrived from Dear Fi , and was a delight on a raining freezing day...

It is the Pay it Forward from a while back. From memory Fi, in fact Paid it Forward to everyone who commented. What an all round good egg! She is working her fingers to the bone, getting ready for Shows all over the place, and then "whips" up all these adorable little purses for about a hundred and ninety people. Also some lovely little note cards, which just seem too nice to use. Perhaps I shall put them on my wall and let them inspire me when I complain I have too much to do!! So Fi... thank you very much.
And then, I was scrolling through the blogs I stalk... er follow, and was reading jelly belly jelly brain, and lo and behold there was my face (more like ugly mug) on her blog. Not only that but I had won her giveaway!!! Which is a beautiful button necklace.
I am one lucky little blogger.

Its big Wednesday Lotto draw here tonight,and Im thinking I should have bought a ticket, but do you know I have been so lucky this week, that perhaps I should shift over and give someone else a go!
Speaking of lucky. Lucky for me I had just been out and bought some brown and beige felt. I had been scribbling a few softie ideas down, and then jnr Busy comes home and tells me that they have to take a 'donation' to school. Not more bleedin money I muttered, but no, its for their lovely student teacher Miss L (really hard to pronounce name) from the States who is heading back on Friday. It had to be something that was New Zealand. Like Pinapple Lumps

or Milo


which are pretty much Kiwi staples, especially when you live overseas, as my fellow Kiwi expat Joanna from Applique today will testify.

So in true, Crafty Kiwi spirit, I whipped up one of these whilst the beans and peas boiled their guts out on the stove, and the jacket potatoes shrivelled up in the oven...





And as Kiwi's are protected, I branded his little bum, so he could be tracked wherever in the world he goes...